Ice cream cake with a small freezer?
April 17, 2013 12:44 PM Subscribe
I need to make my kid an ice cream cake for his birthday. I have a tiny freezer. Help.
Kid BlahLaLa wants an ice cream cake for his birthday. And I want to give him one! But...
I can bake the cake. That's no problem. I can buy ice cream. Got it. But...
I have a verrrry narrow freezer. I literally have no plates, other than small salad plates, that fit in there. I just tried one of my cake pans in there and the cake pan will juuuuust fit. Barely. So I'm trying to think how this will go -- I bake the 2 pans' worth of cake. I try to assemble the cake, outside of the freezer, but i can't put it back in the freezer to chill? That's not gonna work for me. I can't see myself doing the delicate work of assembling the cake during the party, either -- too stressful, to tell you the truth, with 10 boys running around.
I have no long pans that will fit in the freezer. So I can't just bake a single-layer cake in, say, a 9x13 pan and work it that way.
What are my other options? I was thinking of some sort of easy-to assemble "cake bowl mish-mosh extravaganza" that might go like this: bake the cake the day before; during the party cut the cake into brownie-sized squares; take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw a little; then assemble these cake pieces, scoops of ice cream, in alternating layers or bunches into a big, mountain-sized jumble? Is that a thing? Is that doable? Help!?!
I could use ideas -- if there's any "legit" way to pull this off I'd love to show my kid pictures or something to sell him on this idea, since he's definitely not going to be able to have a traditional ice cream cake.
(And yes, I know I could buy a cake. But I'm trying to be frugal and the ice cream cakes around here aren't cheap.)
Kid BlahLaLa wants an ice cream cake for his birthday. And I want to give him one! But...
I can bake the cake. That's no problem. I can buy ice cream. Got it. But...
I have a verrrry narrow freezer. I literally have no plates, other than small salad plates, that fit in there. I just tried one of my cake pans in there and the cake pan will juuuuust fit. Barely. So I'm trying to think how this will go -- I bake the 2 pans' worth of cake. I try to assemble the cake, outside of the freezer, but i can't put it back in the freezer to chill? That's not gonna work for me. I can't see myself doing the delicate work of assembling the cake during the party, either -- too stressful, to tell you the truth, with 10 boys running around.
I have no long pans that will fit in the freezer. So I can't just bake a single-layer cake in, say, a 9x13 pan and work it that way.
What are my other options? I was thinking of some sort of easy-to assemble "cake bowl mish-mosh extravaganza" that might go like this: bake the cake the day before; during the party cut the cake into brownie-sized squares; take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw a little; then assemble these cake pieces, scoops of ice cream, in alternating layers or bunches into a big, mountain-sized jumble? Is that a thing? Is that doable? Help!?!
I could use ideas -- if there's any "legit" way to pull this off I'd love to show my kid pictures or something to sell him on this idea, since he's definitely not going to be able to have a traditional ice cream cake.
(And yes, I know I could buy a cake. But I'm trying to be frugal and the ice cream cakes around here aren't cheap.)
Do you have any neighbors you are on good terms with, that you could "borrow" space in their freezer, perhaps in exchange for some of said ice cream cake?
posted by ambrosia at 12:50 PM on April 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by ambrosia at 12:50 PM on April 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
Oh, I meant to add after you smoosh it flat, let it freeze again so it can harden back up for cutting out shapes.
posted by itsamermaid at 12:50 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by itsamermaid at 12:50 PM on April 17, 2013
Two cakes? If the freezer is narrow but tall enough for two cakepans, that's an easy solution. Put a lid/plate on top of the first cakepan so the second has something to sit on.
posted by zug at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by zug at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2013
Do you have a cooler? Even a cheap styrofoam cooler should give you enough space to chill the cake when done, no?
posted by Max Power at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Max Power at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Would some sort of variation on ice cream cake made from ice cream sandwiches work?
posted by Sassyfras at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Sassyfras at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2013
Do you have (or can you borrow) a cooler larger than the size of cake you want to make? You could pick up some dry ice and keep it and the cake in the cooler.
posted by dayintoday at 12:53 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by dayintoday at 12:53 PM on April 17, 2013
My mom used to hollow out just the bottom layer of my cake and fill it with ice cream. Can you do that (and trace a round piece of cardboard to freeze it on), ice the outside of the bottom layer, and freeze that, then ice the top layer and don't freeze that, then just lay one on top of the other at serving time?
posted by Night_owl at 12:53 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Night_owl at 12:53 PM on April 17, 2013
Hmm can you bake one pan about half full and one pan full. Freeze the full one first but leave it in the fridge well wrapped, then you'll have space for the half full one with ice cream on it in the freezer? Then you can stack them right before the party? I think the timing would be tricky but it seems like it could work.
Other option I was thinking was some sort of bombe variation - bake one pan of cake and find a bowl that has the same dimensions. Pre-frost the cake portion then put the ice cream bombe on top and decorate?
posted by brilliantine at 12:56 PM on April 17, 2013
Other option I was thinking was some sort of bombe variation - bake one pan of cake and find a bowl that has the same dimensions. Pre-frost the cake portion then put the ice cream bombe on top and decorate?
posted by brilliantine at 12:56 PM on April 17, 2013
Are you trying to do a two-layer cake, plus ice cream on top of it? You really only need one layer - the layer of ice cream effectively counts as the second - and it should be enough for ten kids. Would something like that fit in your freezer?
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:02 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:02 PM on April 17, 2013
Cut a piece of cardboard to the dimensions of the freezer's footprint. Cover it with aluminum foil. Bake the cake in whatever rectangular pan makes sense, then when it's cool, cut it to fit on the piece of cardboard.
posted by payoto at 1:06 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by payoto at 1:06 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Do you have a cupcake pan? Then assemble the ice cream cakes in fun party cups (sized to fit you freezer).
posted by florencetnoa at 1:09 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by florencetnoa at 1:09 PM on April 17, 2013
Would an icebox cake be an acceptable substitute? Not long ago, MeFite MiltonRandKalman described this as "heaven cake" that made "a million angels dance on my tongue" when his mother made it for him as a child. (This page - I don't know how to link to a particular comment.)
The Nabisco cookies can be hard to find. I made the cake last month with these homemade cookies and it was every bit as wonderful at the original version.
posted by she's not there at 1:21 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Nabisco cookies can be hard to find. I made the cake last month with these homemade cookies and it was every bit as wonderful at the original version.
posted by she's not there at 1:21 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Bake the cake in a jelly roll pan and wrap it around the ice cream to end up with a sort of long narrow cake. My mother used to do this based on one type of ice cream cake Baskin-Robbins sells if you want to check out their website for pics.
posted by TedW at 1:32 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by TedW at 1:32 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
How about getting another adult around to handle the kids while you put the cake together day-of?
posted by rhizome at 1:44 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by rhizome at 1:44 PM on April 17, 2013
Styrofoam cooler(s) and dry ice. Our grocery has the dry ice but they seem determined to hide it away from where anyone might ever find it.
posted by phearlez at 1:45 PM on April 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by phearlez at 1:45 PM on April 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Here's what I would do, because I don't like making any kind of compromises in my cakes:
posted by aubilenon at 1:50 PM on April 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
- Borrow a sufficiently large cooler from a friend or neighbor.
- Find a rubbermaid type container that will hold your completed cake, but still fits in the cooler.
- Bake your cake the night before. After taking it out of the pan, and letting it cool, put it in the freezer, where it's sure to fit because the pan fits.
- Buy some ice cream.
- Several hours before the party, fill the cooler half-way with ice. Buy ice at the grocery store if you need to.
- Cut out some cardboard a bit bigger than the cake, and cover it with tin foil.
- Assemble & decorate the cake on your tin foil, and put it in the container in the cooler.
- Serve cake at the party! Yay!
- Now the leftovers are small enough to fit in your freezer. Trim down the cardboard to fit too.
posted by aubilenon at 1:50 PM on April 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
You could always make cupcake ice cream cones, don't fill them all the way, and top with a scoop of ice cream? Some of the ice cream cakes made in loaf pans in this slide show look really nice. If a bowl fits, you can make an ice cream cake bombe.
posted by theuninvitedguest at 3:41 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by theuninvitedguest at 3:41 PM on April 17, 2013
Response by poster: These are so many great suggestions -- and they all got me thinking. How about this:
-- Day before the party: cook 2 round layers of cake; when cooled, take them out of the pans and tightly wrap
-- Then, use the 2 (now empty) cake pans: thaw the ice cream so it's soft, then spread it into the two pans (maybe use saran underneath, so it comes out easily?); put the pans back in the freezer (since they will just fit) to harden; leave that overnight
-- During the party, assemble the cake like this: bottom layer of cake, topped by a round of ice-cream (popped out of the cake pan), then another layer of cake, then another layer of ice cream. It won't be too much work because the ice cream will already be shaped.
-- End up with a sort of "unfrosted" look, similar to this, only with ice cream on top. Possibly topped with M&Ms or some such. Does that seem like a decent effort?
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:46 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
-- Day before the party: cook 2 round layers of cake; when cooled, take them out of the pans and tightly wrap
-- Then, use the 2 (now empty) cake pans: thaw the ice cream so it's soft, then spread it into the two pans (maybe use saran underneath, so it comes out easily?); put the pans back in the freezer (since they will just fit) to harden; leave that overnight
-- During the party, assemble the cake like this: bottom layer of cake, topped by a round of ice-cream (popped out of the cake pan), then another layer of cake, then another layer of ice cream. It won't be too much work because the ice cream will already be shaped.
-- End up with a sort of "unfrosted" look, similar to this, only with ice cream on top. Possibly topped with M&Ms or some such. Does that seem like a decent effort?
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:46 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
That sounds like a good approach. I would totally eat that cake.
What time is this party again? ;)
posted by aubilenon at 5:07 PM on April 17, 2013
What time is this party again? ;)
posted by aubilenon at 5:07 PM on April 17, 2013
I think you've got a good plan. If you absolutely can't fit it, you can improvise a freezer with the dry ice and styrofoam, or using regular ice and salt. That combination will chill below freezing. Just seal everything up so it doesn't get salty. (Also, salt may not be great on your metal pans if they aren't coated against corrosion.
Other plan: get a neighbor to help you with freezerspace. It's a neighborly thing.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:01 PM on April 17, 2013
Other plan: get a neighbor to help you with freezerspace. It's a neighborly thing.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:01 PM on April 17, 2013
Response by poster: Just to conclude: yes, my plan worked great. I highly recommend it for anyone with freezer issues like mine. I added some whipped cream between the layers, and a bit of whipped cream on top, plus some sprinkle-type stuff on the top.
The only issue: two layers of cake + two layers of ice cream makes for a verrrry tall cake. It looked great but each slice basically fell apart as soon as I cut it. 10-year-old boys do not care about this, however. And we took the leftovers, jumbled them into a bowl and shoved that in the freezer. Now we have a bowl full of broken cake pieces and ice cream, which just seems like a double bonus.
Thanks, everybody.
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:18 AM on April 23, 2013
The only issue: two layers of cake + two layers of ice cream makes for a verrrry tall cake. It looked great but each slice basically fell apart as soon as I cut it. 10-year-old boys do not care about this, however. And we took the leftovers, jumbled them into a bowl and shoved that in the freezer. Now we have a bowl full of broken cake pieces and ice cream, which just seems like a double bonus.
Thanks, everybody.
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:18 AM on April 23, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
Make a regular sheet cake.
Thaw some ice cream slightly and then smoosh it flat in to a cake pan or whatever will fit in the freezer.
Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the cake and the ice cream, then assemble in to a kind of ice-cream sandwich cake thing? You could use round cookie cutters or fun (simple, obviously) shapes!
posted by itsamermaid at 12:49 PM on April 17, 2013